Deep River Promise Jackie Ashenden (best life changing books .txt) 📖

him about what’s happening and take any concerns he has to Silas and Zeke.”

Astrid blinked, a jolt of shock going through her.

Despite whatever responsibilities he had back in LA, Damon was going to stay for her son. And he wasn’t going to tell him not to worry, that it wasn’t his responsibility. No, he was going to include him in what was going on. He was taking Connor absolutely seriously.

That he would make the effort for her boy made her heart contract painfully, and she had to turn around again to check on the kettle, trying to hide her reaction. Tears pricked at her eyes, which was ludicrous. Why was she crying about a man being nice to her son? Didn’t that mean she had to be more on her guard? Aiden had been nice to him too, and look what had happened there.

God help her, if Damon hurt Connor, there wouldn’t be enough of him left to bury.

“I don’t know how you managed to get him to agree.” She fussed with the kettle, conscious of how thick her voice sounded. “He flat-out refused for me.” And that hurt, she couldn’t deny it. That her son would do for Damon what he wouldn’t do for his own mother.

“Well,” Damon said slowly, “he won’t for you because he sees himself as needing to protect you. That’s why he hasn’t discussed things with you either. He doesn’t want to worry you. He doesn’t have to worry about me or care about my feelings, so he can tell me anything.”

Okay, that made sense. She could understand that.

Letting out a breath and furiously blinking away her tears, she turned back to him.

He sat sprawled in the chair, long legs outstretched, watching her.

“So you said you’d stay.” She folded her arms over her quickly beating heart. “Didn’t you have responsibilities back in LA that couldn’t wait?”

His eyes darkened. “Yeah, I do. But they can wait at least a couple more days.”

Curiosity gripped her. He’d kissed her, held her in his arms, been inside her. But she didn’t know a single thing about him except that his mother had been a single parent and had brought him up herself and that she apparently liked whisky.

“What do you need to get back to?” she asked, unable to resist the question.

Damon let out a breath. “My mom isn’t well. I’ve got a housekeeper checking on her, but that’s not ideal. I really need to be around for her.”

Somehow, the answer didn’t surprise her. She didn’t know him, but she’d suspected that whatever was drawing him away from Deep River, it was something serious. Especially given how adamant he’d been about seeing Cal’s last wishes carried out. He didn’t strike her as a man who’d let something minor distract him from the things he considered important.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, and she meant it. “Should she be in the hospital?”

Damon hesitated. “She’ll need a care facility at some point but not quite yet.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“Yeah, it’s not great. Mom isn’t the easiest person to deal with. She’s very proud and doesn’t like to admit that she’s sick. The housekeeper can watch her for a little while, but she doesn’t like having another person in her house.”

“You don’t have to stay here,” she said, feeling bad for him. “Sounds like your mother needs you more than Connor does.”

Damon shook his head. “Mom will be okay for another few days. And I made Connor a promise. I’m not going to leave before I fulfill that.”

Her heart gave another painful contraction. He was a man who made promises and kept them. He’d kept Cal’s and now he’d made another to her son, and she could see from the iron in his blue eyes he’d keep that one as well.

Dammit, why did he have to be such a good guy? Why couldn’t he be awful? And for the love of all that was holy, why did she have to feel so incredibly attracted to him?

Too good to be true…

Oh, he was. Even now, even after she’d thought that particular curiosity would be satisfied, she couldn’t take her eyes off the long, powerful stretch of his legs. Or the open neck of his shirt where his pulse beat. Or the sensual curve of his mouth.

He must have known the direction of her thoughts because suddenly his eyes glinted. “Kettle’s boiling, Ms. Mayor.”

Hell. So it was.

Astrid flushed and turned around, busying herself with making tea and trying to get a grip.

She fussed around, getting out the cups and dealing with the tea leaves—she preferred a teapot and leaves to teabags. Once she’d gotten it all together, she carried the teapot, milk, and sugar to the table, then came back for the cups. Or rather the mugs, since she preferred a bigger cup.

Damon watched silently as she carried everything to the table and put them down, sat, then poured out a couple of mugs. He nodded when she lifted the milk questioningly, before helping himself to some sugar. Apparently he liked his tea milky and sweet.

“So,” he said as he stirred his tea, “Connor told me about Aiden.”

* * *

Astrid went very still, her mug lifted halfway to her mouth. Her face had gone curiously blank. Slowly, she took a sip of her tea, then put the mug down on the table with some care.

“I don’t know if that’s something he should be telling people,” she said, a chill in her tone.

She didn’t want to talk about it, that was clear, and maybe he shouldn’t push, given how painful it appeared to be for her. But he knew what it was like to have to bear painful things by yourself, how terribly lonely it could be, and how hard to get through it.

No one had been there for him when Ella had died. Rebecca had been too consumed with her own grief to take on his, and his mother, never good with the more difficult emotions, had simply refused to talk about it. He’d